John j



Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. PUROELL, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T O XVILLIAM H. ALLEN, OF SAME PLACE.

COUPLING FOR UNDERGROUND WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,327, dated September 27', 1892.

Application filed February 16, 1892. fierial No. 421,740. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: the other is provided with aleft-hand thread,

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. PURCELL, a and said sleeves, and so the wires, are concitizen of the United States, residing at lVashnected by a nut B, that is provided with right ington, in the District of Columbia, have inand left hand threads to engage the corre- 5 vented certain new and useful Improvements sponding threads of the sleeves. The purin Couplings for Underground Wires; and I pose of this double threading will be readily do declare the following to be a full, clear, and understood. As the nut is a conductor, the exact description of theinvention,suchas will wires of the two sections will thus be elccenable others skilled in the art to which it aptrically as well as mechanically connected to- 1o pertains to make and use the same, reference gether. To perfectly house this joint and being had to the accompanying drawings, and prevent the access of moisture to the wires, to the letters of reference marked thereon, I employ a sleeve or tube 0, whose internal which form a part of this specification. diameter is such as to cause it to snugly [it My invention relates to couplings for electhe lead-covered portion of the cable, but yet r 5 trio conductors, and more especially to that not so tightly but that said sleeve may readclass which are provided for affording access ily be slid along the cable. Said sleeve is to underground wires, which in the form of slipped over the end of one section and out a cable are inclosed by a covering of lead; of the way before the wires are coupled, as but,while designed especially for this particuabove described, and then after they are thus 2o lar form of conductor, it is to be understood coupled it is moved to a position over the that I do not limit myself to this use, but rejoint, so that a portion of its length will exgard myself as entitled to use it in connection tend over each section. Each end of the with other forms of conductors and whether sleeve 0 is threaded externally for a short the same are fortelegraph, telephone, orlightdistance for engagement by a nut D. Said 25 ing purposes. nut has an internally -projecting flange (I, My object is to provide a coupling which which snugly fits the lead-covered portion of shall be simple, cheap, capable of use by unthe cable, and between said flange and the skilled persons, and which shall effectively end of the sleeve is an annular elastic washer answer the purpose for which it is designed. E, that also when not compressed between the 8o 0 To these ends and to such others as the innut and the sleeve end snugly fits the cable. vention may pertain said invention consists This washer performs two functions: first, it in the coupling constructed and operating serves as awater-tight packing, and, second, substantially as and for the purpose hereinwhen compressed between the nut D and after specified. sleeve by screwing up the nut it will be ex- 5 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevapanded diametrically and be caused to en tion showing my coupling in use. Fig. 2 is a gage the lead surface of the cable with such longitudinal section of the same. a degree of friction as to securely hold the In carrying my invention into practice the sleeve in position the application of considinsulation and the lead covering of the conerable force upon the sleeve being necessary o ductor are removed at the point where it is to move it. To obtain access to the wires, it desired that access shall be had to the wires, is necessary simply to loosen the nuts D and so as to expose the latter, and then the wires D sufficiently to allow the washers E and E are cut; or,of course, the cable can first be cut to relax and then slide or move the sleeve 0 and then from the end of each section the longitudinally along the cable sufficiently to 5 5 lead and the insulator removed for a short expose the joint therein. Removal of the distance lengthwise of the same. Over the nuts is not necessary. exposed port-ion of the wires of each section The simplicity and cheapness of my inven- I slip and securely fasten thereto an extertion and the facility with which it may be nally-threaded sleeve A of conducting mateoriginally applied and removed to give access 50 rial. The sleeve of one section is provided to the wires must be apparent. The housing with a right-hand thread, while the sleeve of consists solely of the sleeve or tube 0, the two nuts D D, and the two Washers E and E, there being no parts Whatever that are united to the lead covering. Skill is not essential to its proper application, and even after the conductor is laid my coupling can be readily applied.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim to be new, and desire to secure by-Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the two sections of an electrical conductor, of a sleeve upon the end of each section, the one having externally right-hand threads and the other externally left-hand threads, a nut having internal right and left hand threads and a central exter- 

